Iron Fist: Yin and Yang
by APersonOfManyNames
Summary: Danny Rand, Billionaire, The Immortal Iron Fist, a man torn between two completely different worlds. One of luxury and stardom, the other, a brutal and hard life that guarantees he won't die peacefully in his sleep. Can he strike a balance between two polar opposites, or will he face self-destruction as his life is thrown into chaos?


**This will be a short, four chapter story. Reviews and general feedback is appreciated, without further ado, I hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 1 (The Tale of Two)

Danny Rand has gone by several names, 'the Immortal Iron Fist', 'a living weapon', but the meaning of those are as foggy as the mirror he wipes the persperation off of after taking a shower. He then puts on a finely knit suit. The comfortably firm padding combined with the intricate design of the various fabrics woven throughout, truly the best money can buy. A red, ninety-percent silk tie, and sturdy black leather dress shoes. He can't help but look at it, like it's one big facade. He walks out of his condo, taking the elevator down, walking out of the building, a limousine waiting for him.  
"Mr. Rand." The driver nods, opening the door for Danny as he leaves the building.

"Thanks," Danny situates himself in a comfortable, relaxed position on the seat. The driver gets in and they begin driving. "And call me Danny…" He adjusts himself again, "how's it going?" he asks.

"It's going fine, thanks for asking Mr...I mean, Danny." The driver takes a big gulp of air. Danny straightens himself.

"Haven't seen you before, new to this job?" Danny inquires.  
"Yes Danny, I am." The man says.  
"What's your name?" Danny asks.

"Um..Jim." He says.

"Mind if I give you some advice Jim?" Danny's voice as gentle as a calm breeze on a sunny day.

"Sure." Jims says.

"Don't let Joy boss you around too much, she's hard on new people, but she just tries to test commitment. Personally, and don't tell her I said this, I think she goes a bit overboard. Show her your strength and she'll respect you." Danny chuckles.  
"Um...Okay." The driver says with a dry mouth.  
"Oh, she couldn't have put that much fear in you now could she?" Danny's laugh as jovial as can be. "Look, my name is on the building…" Danny feels the dullness of the words and their lack of significance. "I know, you stick up for yourself, and you'll do fine."

They pull around a corner, stopping next to the curb, being overshadowed by a massive tower that stretches up near as far as the eye can see. Danny gets out. "Have a nice day." He says, poking his head in the car.

"You too." The driver responds, looking back at Danny. Danny walks into the building, passing the receptionist desk, and taking an executive elevator up. Sooner than one might expect, he reaches the top floor. His eyes glance around the corner to see a massive man sweet talking the assistant.  
"Is that who I think it is…." Danny says with a smile, walking out of the elevator with his hand extended. The man turns around.

"The one and only." He says, his dark brown hand meeting Danny's pale white hand.  
"Luke Cage." Danny patts him on the shoulder. "It's been awhile."  
"Yeah, a few weeks." Luke says, rubbing his goatee.  
"Hang on, how'd you even get up here?" Danny taken aback at this unordinary appearance.

"Oh I just went up to the front desk, bent of a few chairs, broke a few doors down with my bare hands...they pretty much let me in after that." Danny stares at Luke with squinted eyes, Luke lets out a bellowed laugh, Danny, too, laughs.

"Oh you're just in time." Joy says, walking up to Danny with a folder. Her brunette hair flashing in the light let in by the various windows. She hands the folder to Danny, who gently as a feather, takes it, without a moment's hesitation.

"What's this?" He asks her.

"Some vacant lots down in Chinatown, Rand recently purchased, the crews are all hired, they're just waiting for confirmation on what to build. It's your call, what we should set up." He looks at the papers with a cloud of indecision raining upon his head.

"I'll have to think on it." He says with a smile, walking to his office. Luke following closely behind, overshadowing the two of them.

Danny enters his office, walks over to his relatively modest desk, slips the folder into the drawer on the left side closest to the top.

Danny looks at Luke, who seems unable to keep himself still, every part of him flowing with energy.

"What's up?" Danny asks.

"Its Bushmaster, your old foe is back and is trying his luck with me. I need your help to stop him." Luke says.

"Say no more, I'm in. Know where he's at?" Danny asks, jumping at the chance like a mouse to sweet cheese.  
"Wouldn't come to you if I didn't…" Luke chuckles.

"How many guys?" Danny smirks as the question comes out, practically oozing anticipation.

"Lots." Luke smiles.

A short time later, Danny and Luke overlook a warehouse, Danny wearing a dark green outfit with a yellow Shao-Lao the Undying symbol on the torso, his boots, of the same dark green color, accented with yellow. Luke, wearing blue jeans, with a yellow vest, designed to absorb as much damage and bullets as possible, for convenience's sake.

"Where's your, mask?" Luke asks.

"Oh, it got destroyed in a fight recently." Danny tells him. Luke looks at his bare face, a cross between a scoff and a chuckle as he looks forward at the worn warehouse.

"Let's do this." Luke snarls, grinning, with his teeth wide open. Danny takes note of this. They stop at the front entrance.

Luke looks at it, he scoffs, one kick from him and the hinges snap right off, the door skids across the floor some distance. They step in, looking around, the place near pitch-black, only street lights a distance away, shine any kind of light in the room.

"I don't see anybody." Luke says, staring at the near impenetrable darkness.

"Oh they're here." Danny assures him. Suddenly, the lights flash on, Luke puts a hand over his eyes. Slowly lowering it.

"Oh we most certainly are." Bushmaster announces with his arms stretched high. He stands at the back of the warehouse. From all sides, thugs surround them.

"Iron Fist, tell me, how much did he beg you to come help him?"  
"Is that fear I hear, Bushmaster?" Danny responds.

"No, amusement! Get them!" At once, all the thugs swarm in. The nearest thug to Danny receives a swift round kick to the head, knocked out cold. Two of them start beating down on Luke, with bats, he grabs one of them and casually tosses them into the other.

Two come at Danny, he grabs one's bat, jabs a machete out of the other's hand, one strike to the gut, and a thrust backwards to the other thug is all it takes for them to go down. Luke plows through three thugs, throwing the last one on his side, towards Danny, who leaps into the air upon noticing the projectiled thug, and does a spinning bicycle kick straight to the temple, the thug crashes against the floor with a thud that makes one's bones shiver.

"Impressive team," Bushmaster claps. "I hope you enjoyed your warmup, because now you face me!" Bushmaster charging forward with a yell.

Bushmaster kicks Luke straight in the face, knocking him back. Bushmaster spins around into a sweeping kick, Danny dodges smoothly. Luke charges in with a ferocious yell, Bushmaster pushes him back with his hands. Bushmaster turns to Danny, throwing a side-kick that Danny dodges. Luke grabs Bushmaster by the head, slamming him down hard to the floor, the concrete cracks like an egg as Bushmaster's head careens through it. Bushmaster tries to get up, Luke throws a massive punch that stagger Bushmaster.

A right hook across the cheek, into an uppercut that lands square on Bushmaster's chin. He goes flying up, Luke kicking him with all the force his enhanced muscle fiber and tendons can muster. The foot sends a shockwave rippling through Bushmaster, his insides rumble. He flies backwards, shattering several cinder blocks.

He rolls on the ground, coming to a stop. Soft groaning harasses the ears of Danny and Luke as they approach him.

"What's the matter? Rough you up enough?" Luke mocks. Danny looks at Bushmaster, seeing that his limbs move softly, their strength sapped, breathing appears small, erratic. His eyes glazed over, not seemingly recognizing anything around him. A familiar sight to Danny, which Luke begins to pick up on as well. Danny harnesses his body's energy, letting it flow into his right fist, which begins to glow yellow. Its surface, now hard and impenetrable, its might is more than tenfold, its healing properties, immense. He opens up his hand, still glowing yellow, kneeling down, placing his glowing hand over Bushmaster's stomach.

"You let him get to you." Danny says as Bushmaster's breathing begins to normalize.  
"I...fine, I did. So what?" Luke thrusts his arms out.

"You lost your focus, your sense of self became clouded..." Danny says, his mind reflecting inwards as much as outwards.

"Okay, I lost my cool. I'm sorry." Luke sighs.

"It happens sometimes, he'll be fine, and in custody once more. And, with that settled, I think I'll take a vacation." Luke's voice rushed.

"A vacation?" Luke questions.

"I...have some things I need to deal with...How about I explain it to you when I get back? Sound good. I just need to take a personal week. City will be more than fine under your care."

Danny pats Luke on the back as he leaves. Luke just sighs, looking down at Bushmaster, sirens heard in the distance.

The next morning, Danny leaves his apartment with a suitcase, containing a set of clothes, and another set that brings with it, an air of uncertainty everytime Danny looks at it, or wears it, like last night. Danny walks to the airport, passing through the usual inconveniences, walking straight to his private plane.  
"Good morning Danny, I hope the ride will be most pleasant." The pilot says.  
"I'm certain it will be." Danny says, walking up the steps. He sits down on the premium leather couch situated on a windowless side of the plane, placing his suitcase on the floor, and leaning back.

The next thing he knows, he lands at a very, perhaps the most, secluded airport. Dense forest of massive trees with the deepest green leaves, all around. His passport checked by an asian attendant, who verifies it. He embarks on a journey, along a barely laid path. He breaths in the freshness of the natured air, simple, yet, contains a perceptible elegance to it. Eventually, after what seems like an eternity of walking, he happens upon a crude wooden sign labeled in chinese letters. He recognizes it, sighing, with a strong sense of nostalgia. _Zshonzeng_.


End file.
